Fals fortune infect of countenaunce and of face By hir iyen clowdy and varyable vysage Hath many for a whyle taken to hir grace Whiche after by hir whele vnstable and volage Hath brought them to wo mysfortune and damage She ruleth pore and riche without difference Lewdnes exaltynge and damnynge innocence Thus is that man voyde, of all intellygence Whom fortune fedyth, with chaunche fortunable If he therin haue ouer large confydence And thynke that sure that euer is mutable That fole is sonne, to the fende abhomynable That foloweth ryches, and fortune that is blynde His sauyour lefte, and clene out of mynde Whan the foule fende, father of vnhappynes Pore man purposyth by falshode to begyle He sendeth hym welth worldly, and fals ryches And causeth fortune, awhyle on hym to smyle Whiche with hir blyndenes doth mankynde so defyle That whyle they trust in hir fauour to sore. They damme theyr soules in hell for euermore By large examples thou eche day mayste se The chaunge of fortune and the ende vncertayne Wherfore to boste the of hyr commodyte It is great foly and also thynge in vayne From this lewdnes thy mynde therfore refrayne And be content with fortune moderate Nor boste the nat of thy welth or estate This day thou art ryche and despysest the pore Yet so may it fall, that for thy lewde lyuynge To morowe thou beggest thy brede from dore to dore Therfore remembre that blynde fortune wandrynge Hath nat in hyr handes power, nor gydynge The rewardes of welth, nor of felycyte But god them gydeth by his great maieste And all thynge chaungeth as is to hym plesaunt His dedes to wysdome alwaye agreable Wherfore blynde fole be nat so ignoraunt To prayse fortune whiche is so varyable And of rewardes vnsure and chaungeable But thoughe she smyle trust nat to hir intent For amonge swete herbes ofte lurkyth the serpent BARKLAY TO THE FOLYS. Ye folys that haue in fortune confydence: And boste you of welth and of prosperyte Leue of your foly, and note by euydence: Hir cours vnsure: and hir mutabylyte None in this lyfe can byde in one degre But somtyme hye, than after pore and lowe. Nowe nought set by, nowe in auctoryte Nowe full nowe voyde as waters ebbe and flowe I am remembred that I haue often sene Great worldly ryches ende in pouertye And many one that hath in fauour ben: And hye promotyd in welth and dignyte. Hath sodaynly fallyn into calamyte Thus is it foly to trust in fortunes grace For whyle the Se floweth and is at Burdews hye It as fast ebbeth at some other place * * * * * Of the ouer great and chargeable curyosyte of men.